This Chai Tea Crumb Cake was created as part of a shop that has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are my own. #TeaProudly #CollectiveBias
A tender cake infused with chai tea and chai spices, finished with a crumb topping and lightly spiced icing.
One of my favorite things in the world? A cake that’s versatile enough to be served any time of day.
Breakfast…brunch…afternoon snack…post-dinner treat. Yes, yes, yes, and yes.
This cake will come to the rescue in any and all situations when you need something sweet, cozy and comforting. A combination of a spice cake and a crumb cake that’s filled with the warm flavors and spices of chai tea.
This cake is thick and tender with a crunchy, crumbly topping. It’s lightly spiced, perfectly sweet and it warms you from the inside out.
In order to get plenty of chai flavor into this cake I make a spice blend which gets put into the cake, the crumb topping, and the icing. To the cake batter, I also add milk that has been infused with Bigelow Vanilla Chai Tea.
Bigelow is my tea of choice not only for baking but for drinking, too. I always have tea in my pantry for the mid-afternoon push I need to get through the rest of my day.
My friends at Bigelow are building a Tea Proudly community. Use the hashtag #TeaProudly to share why you make tea your beverage of choice, when you drink it, who you share your tea moments with, and what special memories have been made over a warm cup of tea. Tea can be more than just a beverage. It connects people, invites conversation, and makes memories.
Make yourself a cup of tea and settle in; these big squares of soul-satisfying cake are filled with everything you need.
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Chai Tea Crumb Cake
A tender cake infused with chai tea and chai spices, finished with a crumb topping and lightly spiced icing.
Ingredients
Topping:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons chai spice see note
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
Cake:
- 1 cup milk
- 4 Bigelow Vanilla Chai tea bags
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour see note
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons chai spice see note
Icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon chai spice see note
- 2-3 teaspoons milk
Instructions
Topping:
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In a small bowl, combine flour, sugars, chai spice and salt. Add melted butter and stir until combined. Set aside.
Cake:
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside.
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Place 1 cup milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat milk until it just begins to simmer, then remove from the heat and immediately add 4 tea bags. Set aside for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, continue with the cake.
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Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar for several minutes, until smooth and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, then vanilla extract. Add sour cream and beat until combined.
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In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and chai spice.
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Once the milk and tea have steeped for 10 minutes, remove the tea bags, gently squeezing them into the milk to extract additional flavor. Discard the tea bags.
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To the butter mixture, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the chai milk, mixing well after each addition. I beat in 1/3 of the dry ingredients, 1/2 the milk, 1/3 dry ingredients, remaining milk, then the remaining dry ingredients. Once the batter is fully combined pour it into the prepared pan. Crumble the topping over the top of the batter, pressing some of it between your fingers to form clumps. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
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In a small bowl, stir together all the icing ingredients. Add more milk or powdered sugar, if necessary, to get your desired consistency. Allow the cake to cool slightly then drizzle the icing over the cake. Serve warm.
Recipe Notes
Proper flour measuring: Use the measuring cup to fluff the flour. Scoop the flour (don't pack it in) and level it with the back of a knife.
Chai spice: You can purchase this as a spice blend, or you can make your own by combining: 1 teaspoon cardamom, 1 teaspoon ground allspice, 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, and 3 teaspoons ground ginger. This will make more than what you will need for this recipe. Store it in your spice cabinet and use it for other recipes.
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Fun fact: Love tea? You’re not alone. Tea is second only to water as the most widely consumed beverage in the world!
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I purchased Bigelow Tea at Walmart.
What a unique way to add chai to a recipe. I have never had tea outside of a cup!
Cake for breakfast? Yes, please! I can’t wait to try this!
Gorgeous! And the texture looks perfect. I love the idea of using chai in a cake! Definitely trying it. 🙂
This looks so delicious. I love Chai tea and I can almost smell the cinnamon in this cake. Love the glaze too.
You are so right about the versatility of this cake. Your photos are gorgeous and that cake is jumping out at me begging me to eat it! Clever idea putting chai in the cake. 🙂 #client
crumb cake really is the BEST!! and this is the absolute perfect anytime cake
Love the crumble and the tea flavors!
This cake is all kinds of yum!
Crumb cake is something I have loved forever and remember well having as a child. This look amazing!
Cakes that are infused with tea, especially chai, are some of my favorites. You’ve really included it in every component of the cake which I absolutely love-it’s nice to actually be able to taste the spices!
I love anything with chai!! I want to reach out and grab that piece, right out of my computer screen. Looks soooo good!
Loving that crumb topping! This sounds like the perfect bite to have with a cup of coffee or tea!
I am such of big fan of crumb cake. This chai version sounds incredible.
totally pinning this!
How many calories?
Hi, Ricky. I do not provide nutritional information for my recipes. There are several online calculators you can use if you’d like to get an estimate. Thanks for stopping by!
Where can I purchase Chai spice?
Hi, Judy. King Arthur Flour and Amazon both sell chai spice blends. I make my own. I have the recipe listed in the notes section of the Chai Tea Crumb Cake recipe.
I made this for Easter and it was outstanding. I didn’t have sour cream on hand but substituted full fat greek yogurt instead and it worked thankfully. Since this was for adults, I put a half cup of milk and a half cup of Rumchata with the chai tea bags. This cake was delicious. The chai taste was just enough without being overpowering. Thanks for a great recipe!
I’m so glad that you liked it! The Rumchata addition sounds AMAZING! Thanks for stopping by.